India against corruption

Not much new happens to Lokpal Bill, while organisers of demonstrations in support of Anna Hazere's idea are doing another protest over another thing.

Prices are rising dynamically in India in pace which means this is no longer a cheap country. This is always normal for every booming economy that certain huge companies take advantage of it. This price rise has nothing to do with EU crisis like some people would love to say. It is a stage in country's development and it will be a long stage unfortunately.

Societies of this world had been at first wondering gatherers- hunters. Then settled agriculturers which enables each form of tyranny and mediaval style feudal ruling. Because people could no longer just move to another place. They have settled down. And after feudal state there were always some era of chaos when modern democracy or modern form of dictatorship had constituted itself.

There is always a stage of booming growth but it usually is combined with inefficient state and justice system which leads to many problems. That was Poland in the 90's. Here this stage was short because at first we do not have way over 1 bln of inhabitants. Secondly we existed in early forms of democracy and free trade in historic times. We naver experienced any form of absolute monarchy or strict feudal state.

India with over 1 bln people entered Space Shuttle and microprocessor era but in brains of many people there is still a villiger who on one hand wants to have as much possible as fast as he only can and at the cost of others, on the other hand compromised corrupted aristocrat. And very very very limited number of real middle class.

India does need to have corruption stopped. With it all of the other crimerate will go down. Women will stop being raped so often. People will have guts to fight for justice of they were exploited by those higher in hierarchy.

But if I was organizing this I would focus on one. I would make sure that Lokpal Bill or any other bill stopping corruption is enforced first.

If people go on the streets protesting against price rize public may get confused. May lost truck of the goal.

Corruption goes first. It has to be stopped.

One lesson from Poland: here everyone complained that government installed anticorruption office. Everyone got used to giving or getting small bribes for almost everything. Now after some years we are much more clean if not almost entirely clean.

I would recommend Landes quote to inspire:

“...the one lesson that emerges is the need to keep trying. No miracles. No perfection. No millennium. No apocalypse. We must cultivate a skeptical faith, avoid dogma, listen and watch well..."

No dogma. If you fall into dogma or ideology it will be a trap. 

Korea sets emergency mode

East Asian Economies have been always known for their rapid growth, free market altered by touch of either Confucian thought or Shintoism, feudal structure of employment and business management, but nevertheless very efficient economic environment which has always created jobs, jobs and even more jobs.

It is enough to take a look at average Seoul street to notice it. How many things are there. How many shops with shoes, cloths, cosmetics, how many coffee shop branches, bakeries, necessity kiosks like Family Mart, or E-mart, how many bars and restaurants. These businesses lways have big lines waiting inside and crowds, crowds of customers.

Big portion of Korean economy ( or any other Asian economy) - street vendoring is also visible. Be it street market at Dongmyo Street or any other tiny shop with numerous delicious snacks oferred by skillfull Ajummas and Ajoshis.

But even this rapidly growing environment needs help, government decided.

The steps taken last Monday would save taxpayers some 2.3 trillion won ($2.0 billion) in personal income tax, home transaction tax and domestic sales tax on automobiles and large electronics appliances, the finance ministry said in a statement.

However this may be only a show before the elections to try to convince public that anything is actually done. With household spending rising, Koreans won't likely be risking whatever they save on tax cuts. In unstable economic future tendency to spend shifts into tendency to save. This is slowly killing any economy that has troubles.

Korea has shown it can do a miracle during lifetime of one generation. But will the global crisis hit it too much? Time will tell.

Kim Ki-duk triumphs in Venice

Let me quote Washington Post here:
"...South Korean director Kim Ki-duk’s drama “Pieta,” the brutal story of a debt collector who cripples those who can’t pay until he meets a woman who claims to be his mother, won the Golden Lion for best film at the 69th Venice Film Festival on Saturday.
In a departure from the usual acceptance speeches, Kim thanked the jury and festival audience with a short song in Korean, leaving the theater in rapt silence.

(...)

“Pieta” follows a young debt collector he goes about his business maiming debtors until his ruthless course is interrupted by a stranger who claims to be his mother. His acceptance of his mother weakens his resolve to brutally collect the debts, leaving him vulnerable to revenge.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency called “Pieta” “a bruising but wisely woven drama (that) plainly shows how money can destroy humanity and create hellish interpersonal relationships.”
“Pieta” is the Italian word for pity, but also applies to the artistic image in sculpture or painting of the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus, evoking a mother’s love for her son. Yonhap said the title “gives the false impression that the film is about trying to find meaning in life through religion....”

However Koreans do not appreciate Kim Ki-duk, he adds to their national pride, so after all, they are proud of him. But his movies are mostly recognised in Europe, cause we Europeans like and ...well...we make dark cinema of moral choices. In Korea cinema is a fairy take which has to end well, and cannot question the reality as such. But this changes also.

I will write a review of the movie as soon as I happen to watch it. Congratulations to Korea for the great director!